Teen Punished for Speaking Against Homosexuality Wants Apology

[mumon]

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/4/292004e.asp

Note: This is from the extremist Agape Press. It's intended to show just how off the wall these folks are:

AgapePress) - A Christian student is asking his Boone, North Carolina, high school to apologize for censoring his opposition to a pro-homosexual event on campus.

Watauga High School in Boone recently gave 17-year-old Mark Austin a one-day suspension for wearing a T-shirt inscribed with Bible verses and the words, "Homosexuality is sin, hell is real, Jesus is the answer! Shout for joy!"

Principal Gary Childers told Austin the shirt violated a school policy that prohibits clothing that is "offensive to another gender." But Austin says God convicted him to speak out against the school's participation in the recent annual homosexual "Day of Silence" because there is "a shortage of Christian boldness in this nation."

Austin says if Watauga High School does not revoke his suspension and acknowledge that it has discriminated against him for expressing his beliefs, he plans on filing a lawsuit to uphold his First Amendment rights.

My comments:

1. Another gender????

2. In their theology, being gay means everlasting suffering unless you feel coerced into being "saved" by "Jesus." And tell me again why we should "shout for joy???"

3. With all the crusades against non-Christians in this country, I somehow think there's an excess of fundamentalist boldness.

[sallyseven]

1. Wonder what Jesus thinks about

all this. He made us all warts and all in his image. To know him to love him and to serve him in this world and be happy in the next. Never said anything about being gay.

[renegade000]

21. heh i can only imagine

jesus: "when i said love thy neighbor as thyself i really meant it...OK PEOPLE?!"

[demdave]

2. It is an inflammatory statement and shouldn't be allowed in school

Was there school endorsement of the "day of silence"? (Even though I can't imagine how to accomplish this and still teach school)

[Chico Man]

14. Who chooses what statements are inflammatory?

Just wondering if there was a running record. The FCC?

[demdave]

16. I would put it in the hands of the local school board

at least that way they could be voted out of in.

I, personally, believe in school uniforms for this and economic reasons.

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. Principals have that power and it is important

Typically they use it to limit T-shirts that say almost anything to cut down on students bashing one another wish their sloganeering.

What is unclear to me here is how much the school was behind this event and promoting it. Either way, it seems the first action would be to tell the student not to wear the shirt. Then suspend later on, but perhaps he was persistent.

Lots we don't know.

[Bandit]

28. There is every day a moment of silence in schools

Brought about by the Fundies. It is their way of getting prayer into school. If the school can mandate every single day a moment of silence it could at least allow a similar idea.

[aquart]

3. An apology? From whom? God?

"Sorry I created them, son. Well. YOU are not my son, except in the all god's children sense. But that would include THEM, too, wouldn't it, son?"

[walldude]

4. Why is it..

That god only speaks to the right wingers? You never hear a liberal claiming that "God spoke to me".. probably because we don't want to be percieved as INSANE!!!!!! I wonder if God identified himself or if the kid was just hearing voices and assumed it was god... hehe
On the other hand I do think the little homophobe has every right to wear that stupid shirt...

[JAbuchan08]

5. I think he should be able to

put just about any ridiculous thing he wants on his T-shirts. It is sort of censorship of a legitimate opinion. i don't agree with it, but I wouldn't censor it.

on edit: although I guess it is kind of irritating being told you are going to hell, and I could see how it could be abusive. I just don't think that we should step so cavalierly into censorship.

[OWR51]

9. thats the difference between then and us

we allow them to speak, even when it upsets usm or we find it offensive, and they lynch people they dont like
-7th Sephiroth

[JAbuchan08]

27. not neccesarily as this case demondstrates

[papau]

6. Misuse of Greek word Agape (love of God) - and "on campus" how???

Day of Silence is not a school event - individuals take part - or not. Does this kid claim a right to be in your face offensive - at school?

This year the dates were "April 14, 2004 (Massachusetts schools only)" and "April 21, 2004 (National date".

Groups and individuals working towards equal rights for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people hold a "National Day of Silence" sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), in collaboration with the United States Student Association. GLSEN promotes the creation of "safe schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people." Some gays, lesbians, bisexuals, heterosexuals, and transexuals will not speaking for most of the day. Instead, they will hand out "speaking cards" which say:

"Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?"

Most of the participants are students at middle schools, high schools and colleges. Later in the day, they will attend "Break the Silence" events in which they will celebrate their accomplishments during the day.

[Democat]

7. Do they allow "Buck Fush!" shirts? If not then this kid has no case.

If they censor the left, then he gets what they get.

If they want to allow everyone to have free speech, fine, but usually the right wing only wants free speech for themselves, not for anyone else.

[FlemingsGhost]

8. I'm sorry, Mark. Sorry you are an intolerant bigot.

It will be the root of a great deal of personal misery.

[Mz Pip]

13. Beat me to it!

I am really really sorry you are such a twit Mark. I really am.

Sorry!

MzPip
:dem:

[rooboy]

10. If God really did speak to this young man...

then I think he needs to produce a statutory declaration from this 'God' to prove that the instruction really was given. That will settle the matter once and for all.

[xchrom]

11. mark austin

another self deluded fool trying to tell other people how to live their lives -- might be interesting if he wasn't filled hate.

[Trillo]

12. Mixed messages:

What good does it do to teach a student about the government granting citizens freedom of speech, confuse students by denying them the right to practice their government granted freedom of speech when they're not disrupting classes, but then complain when people don't turn out to vote because they don't understand how precious the rights granted are?

Schools need to do A LOT more to teach tolerance of different views. Allowing different views is a good place to start: not allowing them is more of the Zero Tolerance paradigm.

[JohnLocke]

15. The school's dress code here:

http://nt.watauga.k12.nc.us/whs/default.htm

Watauga County School students shall dress in a manner that is appropriate and conducive to a safe learning environment. The following standards shall serve as guidelines for appropriate student dress:

* Sun glasses, hats, caps, and other head coverings shall not be worn in the building.
* Shoes shall be worn at all times in the school building and on the school campus.
* Clothing or emblems which are offensive to any race, gender, or religion shall not be worn.
* Profanity on clothing shall not be permitted.
* Clothing promoting tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or sex shall not be permitted.
* No undergarments shall be visible.
* No bathing suits shall be worn.
* No pajamas shall be worn.
* Midriffs shall be covered.
* Backless tops shall not be permitted.
* Private body parts shall be covered and not visible.
* No chains, or studded or spiked necklaces/bracelets that could be considered weapons, are to be worn.
* Tops shall have at least one strap on each side of the neck.
* The rules of this policy may be waived by the school administration for school approved activities.
* Anything not addressed by this policy shall be left to the discretion of the school administration.

[Muddleoftheroad]

19. The last line is key

"Anything not addressed by this policy shall be left to the discretion of the school administration."

[Just Me]

20. Okay. The fundies should be VERY, VERY happy with those rules.

Unfortunately,...they resist living by them.

[Just Me]

18. Ummm,...casting others to "hell" is a form of hate speech.

Would "these people" be willing to offer an apology for a character assasination of some kid wearing a t-shirt that reads "Christian Fundamentalists Are Murderers; They Will Burn in Hell"?

DUH!!! NOT!!!

[Stuckinthebush]

22. What a screwed up theology...

"Homosexuality is sin, hell is real, Jesus is the answer! Shout for joy!"


Shout for joy?

No thanks.

[Melsky]

23. Could a student wear this shirt at that school?

"Christianity is stupid, hell is fiction, Jesus is irrelevant! Shout for joy!"

[BattyDem]

24. Here's your apology, kid

I'm sorry you're such a hateful, close-minded, bigoted jackass! :evilgrin:

[uhhuh]

25. Hmmm

* Clothing promoting tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or SEX shall not be permitted.

Isn't he promoting heterosexual sex by wearing the shirt.

[richmwill]

26. I could just see....

...This kid crying and causing a fuss if someone wore an anti-Bush shirt to that school. Or a shirt with a pentagram on it. Another one giving a black eye to true Christians- disgusting.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. About "Why we should 'shout for joy'"

According to some fundie whackos, "saved" people are REQUIRED to LIKE the eternal torture God impinges on the unsaved and WATCH -- yes, even if the unsaved are your children/parents/spouses...